On Monday the Obama administration announced that the morning-after pill will now be sold to girls of all ages, without requiring a prescription. We were already rejoicing just a month ago over the increased access to young ladies, but now no one is excluded. This means that Plan B can be purchased over-the-counter by ladies younger than 17. This is reversal of the federal government's previous decision in late 2011 to restrict minors from obtaining the pill so ... Read More

Last December, we all rejoiced at the news that president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, had passed a Reproductive Health Bill granting Filipino women access to birth control. Unfortunately, the law has been met with enough of the expected backlash to deter any kind of smooth sailing. After receiving petitions that challenge its alignment with the Constitution, Filipino Congress has suspended practice of the newborn bill.
The measure, if reimplemented, would ... Read More

Jessica Valenti is sick and tired of the question, “Why are you so angry?” We’re all aware of the “angry feminist” stereotype that’s been bandied about for decades; anger and aggression are prominent qualities of the caricature version of feminism. This unfair and false characterization is often invoked by those who would silence the voices of feminists, dismissing their views as irrational or otherwise invalid.
During a ... Read More

As Roe v. Wade turns 40 this year, the discussion about reproductive rights in America is as heated as ever. With an election cycle that ushered in a slew of despicable comments about rape from politicians and pundits alike, the disparity between those for and against abortion in America became even more abundantly clear. But it turns out that all those misinformed comments about sexual assault and women’s health weren’t very persuasive—at least ... Read More

America is not the only country to be tangling with issues of reproductive rights of late. This past week, the Philippines made huge strides in terms of their own struggles with women’s health. The Philippines’ Congress passed a new bill that will make low-cost contraceptives available to Filipino women on the village level.
This news is helping to establish President Benigno Aquino as a staunch supporter of democracy and social reform. Aquino, ... Read More